"Hi," the little girl said. "You look sad. Perhaps I can help you?"

Megan glanced briefly at her.

"No," she said and went on. The girl ran in front of her.

"Oh yes," she cheerfully exclaimed. "Well not me, but my master. He can do magic!"

"Listen girl," Megan said wearily, "I don't have time to play. It was a bad day and I want to go home."

"It's no game," the little girl said. "Come, he lives right here. And my name is Angela."

The little girl grabbed Megan's sleeve and pulled her towards the door of a common looking house.

"Hey, I don't... oh hell." Megan sighted. The day already had been miserable, so she could take this probably on top of it.

Megan was guided into a large room by Angela. Its walls were decorated with carpets in warm colors, orange, red and purple. Candles burned everywhere, even though the remaining daylight poured in from a nearby window. In the centre, a figure sat cross-legged on a heap of cushions.

"This is Master Hippolytus," Angela said, and quickly seated herself on a cushion next to him. Sitting cross-legged as well, she smiled cheerfully at Megan.

Hippolytus wore canary-yellow robes, a similar colored hood covered his eyes. A waterpipe-like object stood next to him, and he occasionally took a swig from a tube connected with it.

The room was furnished with shelves, holding all kinds of strange objects, and a large well-stocked bookcase. Another door was in the wall to Megan's right.

In front of the two strange figures stood an empty granite table. The man named Hippolytus gestured Megan to sit down on a cushion lying in front of it. Megan sat down, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Welcome, Megan." The man introduced as Master Hippolytus spoke. His voice sounded pleasant. "I am Hippolytus. Archmage. This is Angela, my apprentice. Can I offer you a drink?"

"Water, please, " Megan said, a bit uncertain and not realising the guy knew her name. Instead, she wondered what an "Archmage" was.

Hippolytus waved his hand, and a glass of water appeared out of nowhere on the table. Megan looked at it, but didn't dare to drink. She just stared at it. Nah! It didn't appear out of nowhere! This must have been a simple stage magician's trick, only to impress her.... Or was it?

"It's ordinary water. No poison. Just drink," Hippolytus said. He took another swig from the pipe. The tube he held was transparent, and it turned brown every time he did. Probably it was used to drink instead of smoke.

Megan reluctantly took a swig from the glass. Water it was.

"So, you have had a bad day?" Hippolytus asked.

"Yes," Megan answered. "You know what happened?"

"Yes," Hippolytus said. "Though I'm not clairvoyant. Magic and clairvoyancy are two different things." He pointed to a crystal orb, standing in a metallic holder behind him. It was the size of a volleyball.

"I can see whatever happens on Earth in that. Wherever it happens. I can't predict the future with it, however, contrary to popular belief."

"You can see everything in it?" Megan was baffled.

Hippolytus nodded. "I can use it as a TV too. Watch the news, shows and..."

"He sometimes uses it to watch the girl next door showering!" Angela cried out and laughed.

Hippolytus snapped his fingers, and a bucketload of water appearing out of nowhere splashed down on her. Dripping wet, she was quiet instantly.

"As I was saying," Hippolytus continued, "I know about you and your performance in London today. These casting shows are all the same, promising young people a lot and giving virtually nothing. But though I've seen you singing there, I'd like to hear it from you. Tell me please."

"Err," Megan was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden unvoluntary shower Angela got, but once she started talking, this feeling ebbed away. She spoke of her performance, how she dreamed of a life on stage, and how the jury insulted her. Especially about how frustrated she'd been when she was being ridiculed because of her height. Hippolytus listened intensely, while the damp Angela was sulking.

"Well," Hippolytus said, after Megan finished, "there is a way I may help you. But let me first explain a few things." Taking another swig, he started to speak:

"I am an Archmage, like I said. That is a master magic-user. The only one alive. Angela is my apprentice, becoming the next Archmage when my time has come. We live in hiding, because people would come to us to solve their problems all the time. We don't want that. Most people should solve their major and minor problems themselves. They have science and technology. Psychotheraphy. Families and friends. If you cannot use all that to solve a problem, you shouldn't come to us, either. It may sound hard, but that is our policy. No interference, only if necessary."

"You hide? Just like in Harry Potter?" Megan asked. It was all a bit surrealistic.

Hippolytus smiled. "Yes. But there are many differences, between the real arcane world and the one described in Harry Potter. Excellent books, yes. But there is no magic school. We are not even born with the ability to use magic, we learn it from a magic user. Apprenticeships, " Hippolytus said, pointing to Angela and drying her instantly with a small wave of his hand. "Chosen carefully. Angela here is a bright young orphan, though sometimes a bit cheeky...".

Angela kept quiet.

Megan watched the two with a frown and didn't know what to make of all this. Who was this guy? A lunatic?

"Everything that violates the most basic laws of nature, but happens nonetheless, might be magical," Hippolytus continued. "Or, as we always say: "If you could explain it, it would be science."

"He asked me to look for someone who is sad," Angela suddenly said. "I found you. Master wanted to show me something."

"Yes. A lesson for Angela, and help for you. Therefore, I'll give you this." Hippolytus added and conjured a silver amulet on a silken rope from his robes. "Watch, Angela."

Hippolytus put the silver object on the table and made some strange gestures over it, muttering some weird words while Megan and especially Angela watched intensely. Suddenly, the thing began to glow briefly. Hippolytus repeated the procedure, picked it up and gave it to Megan.

"It is charged with unspecified magic," he said. "you can, if you touch it with your skin, make one wish. Only one. But as often as you want. For example, you want money? You get money, each time you touch it and wish for it. You want to increase your strength? Each time you touch it, it'll make you stronger if you wish for it. But if you want money first, you cannot get more strength later."

Hippolytus took another swig from his pipe. Megan nodded. "I understand," she said. "But that is silver, right? I cannot afford to...".

"It's free," Hippolytus interrupted. "I can conjure up gold if I need money."

Megan was pleased to hear that. "Free" was her favorite price. She thanked both of them and put the amulet in her pocket.

Megan left the odd couple soon afterwards. On the street, she expected to be told that she had been on some kind of candid camera show, but no such thing happened. Going home in the dusk, she wondered whether or not she had been fooled.